15 July 2016 - Small Fairlie firm scoops big regional building award

High Country Carpentry Limited, of Fairlie, won the Mid and South Canterbury Registered Master Builders 2016 Supreme House of the Year Award for this log cabin-style home in Oamaru.

A small Fairlie carpentry company is celebrating after winning six regional awards, including Supreme House of the Year, at the Mid and South Canterbury House of the Year Awards.

The Fairlie firm scooped six regional awards, including the Registered Master Builders 2016 Supreme House of the Year Award, for a log cabin-style home in Oamaru.

The firm also took out a Gold Award in the Future-Proof Building New Home $500,000 - $650,000 category for a new country home in Twizel.

High Country Carpentry Limited, of Fairlie, won a Gold Award for the Future-Proof Building New Home $500,000 - $650,000 ...SUPPLIEDHigh Country Carpentry Limited, of Fairlie, won a Gold Award for the Future-Proof Building New Home $500,000 - $650,000 category for a new country home in Twizel.

High Country Carpentry owner Lain Hellmrich was "absolutely blown away" by the recognition for his team and the company, especially nearing its tenth anniversary.

"It's recognition for the hard work put in by a dedicated team," Hellmrich said.

"We've got eight carpenters working full-time and my wife and I working on the books."

About 20 people, including employees, partners, and family, had celebrated the achievements of the small firm, which entered two houses in the competition.

"Ten guys spent a year" on the log cabin-style home and were passionate to see it through to the end, he said.

"You just want to do the best job you can for the client."

Hellmrich said they had narrowly missed out on a number of titles last year, so he was pleased his team of local clients and staff had been recognised this year.

"It's a privilege to have great staff."

But there would not be a lot of time to celebrate, he said.

"We're already so busy with clients."

He wanted to thank the highly popular Fairlie Bakehouse for its support. "It's the fuel that runs the machine," he said.

Judges praised the work of High Country Carpentry's builders who had worked on the supreme award winning home which had been built in the style of a traditional log cabin using locally sourced logs.

"As logs shrink over time, the builders had the challenge of calculating shrinkage for each one in order to determine the finished height of the home after four years," they said.